CHAPTER NINE

Enter another world….that night Mitchell did just that. He entered a world not of reality but dreams. Juliana’s grate predictably appeared but was distant. Beyond his reach. Accentuating the heartache. They could see each other but that was it.

The vision had other subtleties; their presence and meaning beyond Mitchell’s comprehension. Behind Julianna’s tear-filled eyes a womanly figure stood in the distance, purposely taking a backward step, knowing what link she played in the chain. Respectfully, she let others deal with their demons while she alone dealt with hers. The woman had blonde hair and tear filled eyes just like Juliana.

Confounding the vision a third woman entered. Mitch hadn’t seen her before and she stood further behind the blonde lady, and many more steps beyond the first woman. She was young, just starting life, but the child’s bronze skin and golden curls belied her youth. She smiled and stood tall, showing confidence and maturity even from a distance. The girl wasn’t crying though, and unlike the other women, wore shoes. The young girl almost beckoned Mitch to come forward and enter her world. 

He could see the child talking. Her lips clearly mouthing unheard words. But he struggled making any sense of them. He managed to decipher only one repeated word, over and over….

“Flames”…. “Flames”

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Mitchell woke and lay in bed again reflecting on the evening. Despite the seriousness of conversation he enjoyed Sarah’s company and questioned why he hadn’t organised it earlier. Out of character, he reached for his phone to send her a text. He wanted to say how much he enjoyed the evening, but after scrolling through the contacts realised he hadn’t saved her number. 

“Stupid,” he muttered glancing at the clock. It was nearly 6:30 am. 

He hauled himself out of bed and quickly dressed. Not running clothes, just shorts and a T-Shirt, then strolled to the café drawing out the time. Not wanting to look eager but needing to maintain his pre-observed punctuality.

On the stroke of seven Mitch rounded the corner of the café finding Sarah hard at work. Her smile grew the moment she saw him but Mitchell couldn’t say anything flirtatious given the line of patrons waiting to be served; and he wanted to be flirtatious today. He simply returned the smile and gestured with a half-arsed wave. Taking an empty chair Mitch waited for the café to calm down a little. Everyone was in such a hurry: checking their phones and taping out emails, impatiently waiting for their morning coffee. Mitchell just sat and observed their urgency; grateful he’d left that vortex long ago.

The customers dwindled as a tardy junior waitress finally arrived for her duties. Sarah took the opportunity to deliver a latte to Mitchell who’d patiently waited his turn. Pulling up a chair, she handed the coffee with a neatly folded piece of paper placed on top of the plastic lid. 

“Busy morning today? And after a late night too…Just your luck,” Mitchell opened. 

“Can you believe it? Bloody Laura was late. So how are you today Mitch?” The question came through practice, but she knew the answer given the look in Mitchell’s eye.

“I’m great Sarah. Really great. I wanted to thank you for last night. I enjoyed your company and was genuinely touched by your story. I know how difficult that can be.” Mitchell’s eyes dropped slightly. “We all have baggage, and sometimes it pays to get it on the table early. If there’s anything I can do to help, I want you to know I am here for you.”

“Mitch, thank you. I had a fantastic night too, and appreciate you listening. I didn’t intend to go on about my woes, but as you say, it is cleansing, and I wanted you to know everything.”

Her name was suddenly called and Sarah summons back to the coffee counter. Evidently Laura was anything but as competent as she. 

“I’m sorry Mitch, I have to go,” she apologized, authentically disappointed. She got up and leant down to kiss Mitchell on the cheek. She then deftly glided back behind the coffee machine, bumping others away with a clear degree of frustration. She was up to her neck in coffee orders immediately. 

Mitchell rose and left the café struggling to open the note Sarah gave him with his one free hand. It read: -

In case you lost it….0402 245 092…S 

Mitch felt a fool for losing the number but thankful Sarah hadn’t made him ask for it again. Despite the lapse, satisfaction swept over him bringing with it hope.

The sun warmed Mitchell’s face as he robotically strolled toward the plate sipping the last of his coffee. He was thinking of Sarah. How they clearly connected and were attracted to each other. His heart remained with Juliana but last night proved there could be more to life. 

Mitch arrived at the park bench which was luckily empty and occupied the seat to watch the world go by….again. The drone of cars and sounds of the suburb filled Mitchell’s ears but his mind was otherwise focused. Swirling with events of the past week as he stared at the plate. Walkers passed without notice however a jogger striding on the metal surface brought his thoughts to Peanut and her disappearance yesterday.

“What were you thinking Peanut?” 

A rhetorical question he happened to self answer. He remembered Peanut stepping back toward him, back down the hill then disappearing. It seemed crazy thinking like his dog but to figure out what happened, that’s exactly what he needed to do. Sarah also said something he’d subconsciously dwelled on untill the early hours of morning…I wanted to reverse my steps and enter another world. 

That was it. Reverse the steps.

Mitchell jumped from the bench and ran to the plate. He had an idea. A ridiculous idea. Surely it couldn’t be that easy. 

He walked around the plate looking for imperfections or changes in the surface or edge. Nothing. It was a bloody metal plate sitting in a frame of concrete. Old, rusted in places, scarred by countless footsteps crossing its surface. Mitch carefully avoided the metal and walked back down the start of the hill before changing course to be facing the same direction as yesterday. The same direction Peanut was heading before vanishing. He paused to see if anyone was watching, then deliberately drew his mind to yesterday afternoon. To the memory of walking up the hill with Peanut toward the plate: just moments before the Nut disappeared. Mitch controlled that thought and with very precise movements stepped onto the plate. He paused momentarily, pivoted his body 180 degrees, and stepped from the plate back in the direction he’d just came. 

From out of nowhere Mitch saw Peanut making her way toward him. She trotted toward the plate like yesterday, but today he saw her face on. She ran to Mitch and dropped at his feet. He scratched the underside of her jaw then checked around the area. Nothing had changed except the sun was longer on the horizon heading westward. At a guess it was 7:40 am yet the suns position indicated a time much later in the day. Peanut was there too, just like yesterday, but Mitchell confidently knew she should be back home where he’d left her. He dropped to the path and held her collar for security; he didn’t want her getting away a second time.

His hunch was right, and he knew exactly when they were. He waited a few minutes expecting to see himself chase Peanut up the path but saw nothing. Only Peanut. Mitchell knew it was now yesterday and he should have been running up the hill after Peanut?

Like the other times he and Albert took trips across the portal, Mitchell was now in the past. However, by leaving the plate in a reversed direction he’d made a major breakthrough understanding just how the portal worked. Stepping off the plate the same way he’d entered enabled Mitch to remain in the past and move around freely in that time. It had massive implications making the possibility of change that much more achievable. 

Peanuts’ breathing steadied and Mitchell used the time to his advantage. He pulled the phone from his pocket to see it was 4:11 pm. That couldn’t be right.

Mitch quickly surmised the phones’ internal clock was calibrated via GPS. His device believed it was yesterday afternoon and showed that time accordingly. It wasn’t morning anymore, it wasn’t today. Mitchell reckoned he started the journey twenty minutes ago, so that left him maybe eighty minutes before his return to tomorrow.

If in fact there would be a return?

He recalled Peanuts’ disappearance, then reappearance to the plate yesterday afternoon; no, it was today wasn’t it? He was confused and wished he’d brought her lead to keep her tethered. He needed her by his side. He walked back to the bench to gather his thoughts and immediately noticed the coffee cup he’d left in his haste was gone! Maybe a passer-by popped it into the bin, but he knew that unlikely. Mitch hadn’t seen anyone else. Again, it was all too confusing. 

Mitch decided all he could do was wait. In the interest of science, if this were indeed science, to wait out the remainder of time and see what happened when the clock ticked through ninety-nine minutes. He motioned for Peanut to join him on the bench and she jumped up as best she could to diligently accompany her master. Maybe she knew what was going to happen, or perhaps she was equally confused as Mitchell?

4:16 pm. Jesus it was slow. He filled the time thinking of many things. The plate. Sarah. Their date last night. Then of Albert. Mitchell couldn’t wait to see his friend and tell him about this discovery. It had been days since they’d spoken and he had so much to share: more pieces of the puzzle. 

Mitch thought of Juliana…his mind always with Juliana…and gazed soberly at the ground while stroking Peanuts’ head hanging lazily over the bench slats. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys, and for no particular reason, used one of them to score the worn wooden slats. Without realising what he was doing, initials emerged… 

MA / JL 

Mitch was neither disrespectful nor reckless of other’s property and never done anything like that before. But the past week had seen him witness many things for the first time. Why stop now he reasoned. The distraction passed the time and drew him further from the present. His mind drifted to a time long gone.

Peanut must have sensed what was coming and abruptly stirred Mitch to the present. He checked to see it was 5:23 pm and quickly returned the keys to his pocket. He held on to the Nuts’ collar tightly and continued stroking her head more in effort of calming himself. And again, he waited.

Mitch was hypnotised by the phones’ numbers ticking over every precious second. When they passed 5:25 he held Peanut tightly with one arm curling his legs underneath the bench. He’d imagined what was going to happen but nervous all the same. Mitch took a deep breath in anticipation. 

Suddenly there was a flash of blue and violet light lasting no more than a millisecond and Mitchell’s body became twisted and weightless. That split second seemed much longer, and what little breath he held was sucked from him as he closed his eyes in terror. When they reopened, he was back on the plate. 

On instinct he patted himself over; checking everything was in place, then ran to the bench finding Peanut gone. The coffee cup left absent-mindedly on the bench was back, and Mitch noted with surprise the etching of Juliana’s initials remained buried in the slats. He hovered over the scene trying to piece the events together, concluding with the less than emphatic words,

“Fuck me”. 

Mitch quickly jogged home and found Peanut on her lounge oblivious to the morning’s activities she wasn’t ever part of.

That afternoon, calmed by his habitual scotch, Mitch recounted events of the past two days. To help clarify things he grabbed a large sheet of paper and sketched a complicated set of parallel lines and junction points. It helped to understand in more detail what actually occurred. He figured Peanut didn’t go back in time, well not the second time anyway; Mitchell’s intervention stopped that from ever happening. When Mitch stepped off the plate to see her coming up the hill and stopping to pat her, he prevented her from walking onto the plate and hence going back in time. Consequently, he never spent time looking for her nor did he wait the ninety-nine minutes for her to return. She never disappeared. Mitchell had changed the past.

He hollered with delight realising Peanut and he experienced two very different passages of the same ninety-nine minutes. If Peanut were able to talk, she would only recall one of those passages. From her perspective she was out walking, sat on the bench for a while, then returned home with Mitchell. She never stood on the plate and never went back in time. She was by Mitchell’s side the entire time. 

Mitch slugged another scotch and swirled it smugly before swallowing. He then finished with the now appropriate words, 

“Fuck Me.”

Peanut raised her eyebrow.

≈

His phone sounded and Mitch was delighted to see it was Juliana. He’d been out on his morning jog and only just finished his shower; clean and ready for a day in the office. He’d been making the daily trudge into the company headquarters for over two years now and it had become rather tiresome. Far removed and less glamorous than his time in the Middle East and Asia. Any joy Mitch had of the job left him long ago. Yes the work was easy and he was rarely bothered by his employers, but he just didn’t enjoy it anymore. 

“Morning beautiful, how you doing?” Mitchell asked Juliana.

“Hey, I’m fine. You been running again?” Juliana knew the answer before it was given. “Listen, what are you doing for lunch today?” That surprised Mitchell coming from nowhere and slightly out of character for Juliana.

“I’ve got a pretty lazy day and will be in your area around one. I was thinking I could swing by to pick you up and we could go down to that nice little restaurant by the beach you’ve been talking about.” Mitchell’s day just got a whole lot better. It was a pleasant surprise and the perfect way to break the humdrum of office life. 

“Jules that’s a great idea, I’d love too. Give me a buzz when you’re getting close and I’ll meet you out front,” Mitchell replied knowing he had nothing planned to tie him up.

Juliana arrived a little after one, and although she’d only been at work, looked amazing. They kissed as if apart for months and talked about nothing important en route to the restaurant. The day was overcast but the sun randomly appeared between the heavy clouds brightening Mitch’s day even more. Juliana wore a long loose skirt that flowed like the nearby waves when she walked. Her hair similarly streaming down her back, lightly swaying to her movement and her eyes sparkling despite the altering light. Mitchell placed his hand within the small of her back and guided her through the large glass door of the restaurant. He marvelled at her splendour and thought not for the first time how beautiful she really was.

They were shown to a window table affording unbroken views of crashing waves over the sandy beach and after taking their seats, Mitch noticed Juliana’s eyes lacked their normal vibrancy. Perhaps she was tired, or maybe the mornings’ meeting didn’t go as planned. 

“You having a wine?” Mitchell asked before choosing a light, crisp white when Juliana replied in the positive.

She was brand manager of a trendy young fashion house and loved what she did. Julianna excelled at her job and had over the years, made a rapid progression through the small firm. The work was dynamic, different everyday, and taught her many things. Juliana met countless people during her career and learnt a lot during her time with the company, but something was missing. They’d spoken about it before. Juliana longed for adventure. 

A young waiter appeared from nowhere and poured two glasses of wine as the small talk briefly stopped. He took their orders then excused himself as quickly as he’d arrived. Mitch proposed a toast to a ‘lovely and surprising lunch’ and they drank together. But Mitchell sensed something was wrong. Juliana’s laughter was absent and her otherwise natural smile seemed forced. Her eyes seemed pained and Mitch knew something was amiss. 

Oh but those eyes.

In many ways Juliana always played her hand close to her chest. Her childhood she’d explained was not the easiest, and Mitchell tried many times to find out why. He wanted to better understand and help her. To no avail. As lovers they shared their deepest feelings and dreams, but at times Juliana closed off completely. She’d deflect any focus on, or struggled explaining her past. It was too hard and she obviously didn’t feel secure enough in explaining that to Mitch. It may have helped if she did. He was her strongest ally in truth and often let things pass believing all would be revealed when Juliana judged it necessary.

Taking a second sip of wine, Juliana returned her glass to the table, and a more sombre look crossed her face. 

“Mitchell…” she paused, reaching for words so hard to find, “…you know I love you right?” Not quite the words Mitchell expected from an otherwise perfect afternoon.

“Of course. And you know I love you too.”

His eyes glazed the more she spoke. Drifting further from the conversation as her narrative continued; however, he heard every word.

“Mitch I need more. Not from you, but from life. You’ve given me so much these past few years, and I love you for it. But you’ve also shown me what else is out there. Your life has been so extreme, full of excitement. Mine’s been lacking. I want to travel. I know you don’t anymore and I understand you’ve seen much of the world, but I haven’t. I need to get away. I want to discover what is out there, and I suppose, to find myself.”

Mitchell sat motionless, his vision blurred. In that moment he heard his heart break. It was a small, clean sound like the snapping of a flower's stem. Whatever else came from those gorgeous lips was irrelevant. Juliana was moving on. While Mitch could be convincing in any argument, he knew her decision was final. No matter what he proposed, her mind was decided. For her. 

The rest of the conversation didn’t really exist. While they finished the lunch with civility, talking about nothing in particular, Mitch stoically concluded she was right. Juliana was a free spirit who only really found herself with Mitchell. Paradoxically, his love stifled her growth. That pained Mitch to the core but his own logic told him she needed to do it, and his presence in her journey was not required. Nor asked.

In the end they hugged their goodbyes, Mitch choosing to walk back to the office in his own time. The rest of the afternoon was a haze as he sat at his desk for hours, crying at times, and was for the first time ever, the last to leave the building.

When he finally got home, shattered with the realisation, Mitchell poured Peanut and himself a scotch. 

She stopped at one, he sadly didn’t.

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